Tuesday, January 20, 2015

A Look Back at London's Food Truck Debacle

BRYAN LAVERY

Here we go again. The London City Council is ready to revive the discussion on food trucks in London. As reported by the London Free Press Wednesday, city councilors are reviving the proposal the previous council rejected. Mayor Matt Brown and Councillor Josh Morgan are expected to be pro-food trucks and propose that city staff spend the next month reviving the plan with a view to launching a pilot program this summer. The request is expected to go to the Community
and Protective Services Committee tonight.

Last year, the London Food Truck Pilot reignited debate and Community
and Protective Services Committee voted
5-0 to refer the food truck pilot proposal back to a special meeting. The issue has been a hotly debated for two years.
Among
the more disappointing proposals was a recommended cap of 12 trucks and a
lottery for licences.

City council eventually decided, by an 8-6 vote,
not to permit food trucks on City of London streets.The unanticipated decision
came after months of contentious debate, five reports, and three trips to
council, two of which resulted in recommendations back for more information.
The proposal had earlier been significantly tightened by the community and
protective services committee, mostly a result of the intervention of Mayor
Fontana. The Mayor who was initially pro-food trucks, called for a food truck ban on Richmond Row, Old East Village, Wortley
Road and Byron. The Mayor’s subsequent amendments to the proposal: higher
fees, larger buffer zones and earlier closings. Several of the councilors who
opposed food trucks did so because they claimed they believed them to be a threat to the financial
health of existing restaurants in the downtown core. The amended proposal would have capped the number of trucks at eight, levied an
annual license fee of $2,865, and required a 50-meter (about 150 feet)
separation from any existing restaurant, double previous proposals. The amended
proposal reduced the number of potential downtown sites from 222 to 50,
eliminating almost all of Richmond Ave.Two years ago, London City Council agreed to get public feedback
on a proposed program to allow food trucks. The proposal worked its way between city departments for
months and has been refined and revised along the way to avoid the bureaucratic
red tape that plagued Toronto’s unsuccessful food truck initiative.

Initially, Ethan Ling, City Policy Coordinator, stated that an
impartial food truck advisory review panel made up of local food industry
experts was expected to provide knowledgeable opinion and recommendations
regarding food truck strategy in London. In addition, the panel was anticipated
to be charged with encouraging culturally diverse and original menu offerings,
and endorsing the promotion of healthy eating. But the report that went
to politicians stated that menu-vetting (read micro-managing) is too complicated to be part of
London’s food-truck plan.

Under last years rejected proposal, City staff would be able to designate
locations based on such things as proximity to restaurants, schools and
neighbourhoods. It suggested a 25-metre buffer zone separating food trucks
from existing restaurants. Food trucks were also required to keep their
distance 100 metres from schools, and vendors will be required to keep a log of their
whereabouts.Food trucks will be
required to close for business between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m.

The proposed food truck by-law amendments appeared to provide
reasonable recommendations and safeguards making the pilot much more accessible
to entrepreneurs. However, it was and still is too early to try to define what the food
truck streetscape will look like in London. There are 27 licences granted for trucks to serve food on private property,
just metres from the street. Last year’s decision does not affect them.

After the failure of the proposal, Ethan Ling, City Policy Coordinator, said “There are still opportunities
for ‘refreshment vehicles’ – as they are
dubbed in London – to operate on private property, parking lots, festivals,
carts on sidewalks, etc. So notwithstanding this decision, I hope that
area entrepreneurs and food lovers can still find ways create, deliver and
consume innovative, exciting and boundary-pushing cuisine from trucks, carts,
stands or wherever.”

Commenting on City Council’s decision, Ontario Food Trucks
tweeted, “Even if it would've
passed, it was too restrictive and expensive! Protectionism hurts all!"

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Ontario Culinary Tourist

I am a
writer, culinary columnist and food and social media editor in London and
Toronto, Ontario. A chef, former restaurateur and hospitality consultant with
over thirty years in the industry, my work has appeared in a variety of print
and on-line publications. I also freelance written editorial and visual content
for tourism and corporate clients.